Safety-check for music-boxes



(No Model.)

0. H. JAOOT.

SAFETY CHECK "FOR MUSIC BOXES.

Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

WITNESSES [NVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-O O. HENRY J ACOT, OE HOBOKEN, NE\V JERSEY.

SAFETY-CHECK FOR MUSIC-BOXES.

QPECIPICATION 'formi 1g part of Letters Patent No. 326,743, datedSeptember 22, 1885.

Application filed April 23, 1885. (N0 model) T 0 all whom it mayconcern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENRY J ACOT, of Hoboken, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Safety-Checks for MusicBoXes, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of a musicbox to which my improvementhas been applied, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe same, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 represents a modified form ofa ratchet-wheel, shown in connection with its gear-wheel and paw], theshafts being shown in section. V

The object of this invention is to provide automatic safety-checks formusicboxes, by the use of which the cylinder will be stopped and heldshould it escape from the control of the escapement by accident, or whenthe said escapement is being adjusted or disconnected, the said cylinderbeing thus prevented from being revolved so rapidly by the spring as toexpose the pins and the teeth of the comb to the danger of being brokenor otherwise injured.

The invention consists in the combination, with the cylinder-shaft of amusic-box, of a ratchet-wheel, and a double pawl having a weighted arm,whereby the said shaft will be stopped and held should its speed beunduly increased, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents the bed-plate. B is the drum containing the driving-spring0, attached to the shaft D, which revolves in bearings at tached to thebed-plate A, and which is turned to wind up the spring 0 by a crank, E,working loose upon the shaft D, and connected therewith by a pawl, F,and ratchet-wheel G, so that the said crank in its forward movement willcarry the said shaft with it, but can be moved back without turning theshaft.

To the shaft D is attached a larger gearwheel, H, the teeth of whichmesh into the teeth of the pinion-wheel I, attached to the shaft J. Theshaft J revolves in bearings attached to the bed-plate A, and upon it isplaced the cylinder K, to which are attached the pins L that operate theteeth of the comb M attached to the bed-plate A. To the other end of theshaft J is attached a large gearwheel, N, which is connected by a trainof gear-wheels, O, with and drives the escapement-fans P, that controlthe speed of the mechanism.

The shaft J is made to carry the cylinder K with it in its revolution bya pin, Q, attached to the gear-wheel N, and which enters a perforationin the end of the said cylinder.

To the inner side of the gear-wheel N is pivoted a wheel, It, havingupon its side as many inclines or shoulders as the instrument isconstructed to play airs, and against which rests an inclinedprojection, S, attached to the end of the cylinder K, so that the saidcylininder can be adjusted to change from one air to another by turningthe said wheel R.

The mechanism for turning the wheel R is not shown in the drawings, asthere is nothing new in its construction or operation. The cylinder K isheld forward, holding the projection S against an incline of the wheel Rby a spiral spring, T, placed upon the shaft J, and interposed betweenthe end of the cylinder K and the pinion-wheel I. In the outer side ofthe gear-wheel N, near its rim, is formed an annular groove, U, having arecess, V, in the shoulder at its inner side.

To the bearing of the fan-driving gear wheels 0, or other convenientsupport,is pivoted the three-armed lever W, one arm of which is providedwith a laterally-projecting pin, X, which enters the groove U, and ateach revolution of the cylinder K, and thus at the completion of eachair drops into the recess V and stops the movement of the said cylinder.The second arm of the lever W projects into such a position that theslight rise of the said arm caused by the dropping of the pin X into therecess V will cause the said arm to engage with a radial pin, Y,attached to the fan-shaft, and thus stop the fans.

Z is a spring which presses against an arm of the lever NV in such adirection as to cause the pin X to drop into the recess V when therevolution of the gear-wheelN brings the said recess opposite the saidpin. The third arm in the construction or operation of the mechanism.

To the outer side of the gear-wheel N, or to the cylinder-shaft J, isattached or upon it is formed a ratchet-wheel, b, which can be made withteeth, as shown in Fig. 2, or can be formed by attaching a circle ofpins to the said gear-wheel, as shown in Fig. 3.

To the bearing for the shaft J or other suitable support is journaled apawl, c, which is made with a hook, arm, or shoulder, (1, upon its lowerpart, and projecting nearly at right angles with the upper or main partor arm, 0, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

To the double pawl a d or to its journal is attached a weighted lever,e, of sufficient gravity to swing the said pawl back when the hook d isreleased from a tooth or pin of the ratchet-wheel b by the forwardrevolution of the said wheel. I

If desired, the weighted. lever 6 can be replaced by a spring as itsmechanical equivalent.'

With this construction, when the mechanism is running at its ordinaryspeed, each tooth of the ratchet-wheel b strikes the lower arm, d, ofthe pawl c, and swings the upper arm of the said pawl inwardin front ofa succeeding tooth of the said ratchet-wheel, but releases the said armd before the said tooth of the ratchet-wheel 1) comes in contact withthe said upper arm of the pawl, when the said pawl is instantly returnedto its normal position by the weighted lever e, or an equivalent spring;but should the cylinder escape from the control of fan-escapement therapid movement of the said cylinder will bring the tooth of theratchet-wheel b in contactwith the upper arm of the pawl before the saidarm can be withdrawn from the sweep of the said tooth, and theratchet-wheel b, and with it the cylinder-shaft J, will be stopped andheld until the mechanism can be put in order.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- The combination, with the cylinder-shaft of amusic-box, of a ratchet-wheel, b, and a double pawl, c d,having aweighted arm, substantially as herein shown and described. whereby thesaid shaft will be stopped and held should its speed be undulyincreased, as set forth.

O. HENRY J ACOT.

